Enn zour, Lapin ti pe mars-marse bor larivier.
One day, Rabbit was walking by the riverside.
Ipo ousi ti pe promne par laba li ek li ti pe manz lerb ver.
Hippo was there too, going for a stroll and eating some nice green grass.
Ipo pa finn trouve si Lapin ti la ek li’nn al kraz so lipie. Lapin finn kriye for « Ayo ! Ipo ! To pa pe trouve ki to pe kraz mo lipie ? »
Hippo didn’t see that Rabbit was there and she accidentally stepped on Rabbit’s foot.
Rabbit started screaming at Hippo, “You Hippo! Can’t you see that you’re stepping on my foot?”
Ipo demann Lapin pardon ; « Sori mo kamwad. Mo pa finn remark twa. Exkiz mwa, silteple ! » Me Lapin pa ti pe ekoute ek li’nn kriy ar Ipo ; « To’nn fer sa par expre ! Enn zour to pou kone ! To pou peye pou sa ! »
Hippo apologised to Rabbit, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you. Please forgive me!”
But Rabbit wouldn’t listen and he shouted at Hippo, “You did that on purpose! Someday, you’ll see! You’re going to pay!”
Apre Lapin finn ale rod Dife ek inn dir li : « Al bril Ipo kan li sorti depi dan delo pou manz lerb. Li’nn kraz mo lipie ! » Dife reponn li : « Pa gagn traka mo kamarad Lapin. Mo pou fer seki to finn demann mwa ».
Rabbit went to find Fire and said, “Go, burn Hippo when she comes out of the water to eat grass. She stepped on me!”
Fire answered, “No problem, Rabbit, my friend. I’ll do just what you ask.”
Plitar, Ipo ti pe manz lerb lwin ar larivier kan enn sel kout, « Zoum ! » dife pran. Bann laflam koumans bril Ipo so bann pwal.
Later, Hippo was eating grass far from the river when, “Whoosh!” Fire burst into flame. The flames began to burn Hippo’s hair.
Ipo koumans plore ek li al kasiet dan delo. Dife bril tou so pwal. Ipo kontign plore : « Mo bann pwal finn brile ! To finn bril mo bann pwal ! Mo bann pwal inn disparet ! Mo bann zoli pwal ! »
Hippo started to cry and ran for the water. All her hair was burned off by the fire.
Hippo kept crying, “My hair has burned in the fire! My hair is all gone! My beautiful hair!”
Lapin ti bien kontan ki Ipo so bann pwal inn brile ek ziska sa zour-la, bann ipopotam zame al lwin ek delo akoz zot per dife.
Rabbit was happy that Hippo’s hair was burned.
And to this day, for fear of fire, the hippo never goes far from the water.
Basilio Gimo, David Ker
Carol Liddiment
Shameem Oozeerally & MIE French Students
Mauritian Creole
Level 2
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